divergent: this film is so important

Saturday, March 29th

I just got back from the new film Divergent. Going into the film, I had no expectations. I knew the film was an adaptation of a book series that didn't catch my interest upon its initial release. I knew it starred Shailene Woodley, a young actress whose career I've enjoyed watching develop. I knew people were comparing it to The Hunger Games. I knew my friends had all seen it and loved it, and I knew that it was being commended for being a film that gave young girls autonomy. What I saw absolutely blew me away, and I left the theater feeling so energized and excited about this film, repeatedly saying to my roommate (who saw the film with me) "This film is so important. This film is so important."

My biggest criticism of the film was the presence of a romance, inevitable in a film (and potential franchise) targeted at teenagers. But the romance in the film was brief. Tris is the main character, and she is Divergent- she encompasses all the traits of the categories the people of the dystopian society she lives in get sorted into. Everyone has a role, must follow the rules of that role. Most do- Tris doesn't. She has to keep this a secret though, because her way of thinking threatens the power structure. All Divergents do. They have the ability to see past the ideologies being pushed onto them. So that makes them dangerous. Tris chooses to become Dauntless, the brave, the protectors. Her love interest in the film is her trainer, Four. My initial objection to this pairing was the power dynamic. Four is in a position of power over Tris. He is the trainer for the Dauntless initiates, those who weren't born into the Dauntless faction. He saves her or helps her in a number of situations throughout the film, which annoyed me because I just wanted to see Tris to save herself.

But what was apparent in the film was that Tris totally could. Tris was brave, and smart, but never heartless. One of my favorite moments in the film is after Tris is rescued by her mother, whom she'd been separated from after choosing Dauntless. There is tension between the factions, with Erudite brainwashing the Dauntless into essentially gunning down Abnegation, Tris' old faction. Because Tris is Divergent, the brainwashing doesn't work on her, but as soon as it's found out that she's still under her own free will, she's chased. Tris' mother helps her escape in an awesome tag-team mother-daughter fight sequence, and it is in this scene that we learn Tris' mother was born Dauntless. Tris ends up shooting and killing one of her attackers. She's in shock afterward, guilty about it, and her mother takes a moment to comfort her, before encouraging her to keep moving. Dauntless are trained not to let their feelings come into play; they are soldiers, fighters, protectors, enforcers. Shortly after, Tris' mom is shot, but she tells Tris she's okay in order for Tris to defend them from the last of their attackers. Once Tris turns around, we see that her mother has been fatally wounded. Heartbroken, Tris openly cries, but she leaves her behind, knowing that she has a job to do.

The message of Divergent was loud and clear: You have a choice. You can think for yourself. You can make your own decisions and fight for what you believe in. Tris is a symbol of autonomy: she is Divergent, the definition alone meaning someone who "thinks differently," someone who doesn't see everything from one side. Divergents threaten those in power; they threaten the hegemony, which is why they are seen as dangerous. The mind control serum crafted by the Erudites doesn't work on Divergents, and they maintain their free will. Tris chooses Dauntless. She chooses to create her own identity when she joins her new faction, using Tris instead of Beatrice, the name she grew up with. When she and love interest Four kiss for the first time, she tells him she wants to go slow. And he listens to her. When Tris takes her final test after Dauntless training, a test that simulates your worst fears, Tris fights back against a Four who pushes himself on her. When one of Tris' friends from training double crosses her and attempts to kill her, she doesn't accept his apology. She tells him, "If you ever touch me again, I'll kill you." Tris is a strong character, and Divergent is a very important movie.

For my indigenous studies class, I was reading excerpts from Beth Brant's Writing As Witness. In the piece of the same title, Brant discusses the use of the word 'vision,' by white people, and what it means for Natives to have the world and the concept misused. It's alienating, and insulting. While I am aware (after reading) of the Native use of 'vision,' and how white people have commodified the concept, my mind wandered to how I am most familiar with the use of the word; Growing up I watched a show on Disney Channel called "That's So Raven," which centers around a teenage girl who has psychic "visions" of the future. Her tag line, before she looks into the camera and we zoom in through her pupil to 'see' what she sees, is "I'm having a vision."

At first, I thought, "Surely, there must be something offensive about this." There must be a cultural custom somewhere in the world that's being Disney-fied by this. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this show could actually be a good example of othering, and even teaching the audience that othering is wrong, because what we perceive as "other" actually isn't.

Raven is a teenage girl. She has to keep her psychic abilities a secret, but her family and her two best friends know. There is nothing about her that fits the Miss Cleo-stereotype of a psychic, and in one episode I remember they actually do a Miss Cleo spoof, in which Raven is "Madame Talulah," and is the case in children's sitcoms, things go horribly and comedically wrong. Raven can't control her visions, and what she sees is only a tree rather than the whole forest, which is how the plot of each episode unfolds.

"That's So Raven" aired during what I consider, looking back on it, a golden age in Disney Channel programming. The cast was more diverse than other shows on the network, with African-American leading actors. There were also several episodes that dealt with "serious" topics: body image and misrepresentation in the media (in which Raven models one of her own fashion designs and is photoshopped without her consent in a picture to appear skinnier); obesity and fast food consumption; racial profiling and discrimination (in which a manager doesn't hire Raven even though she's more qualified because she's black). The show was funny and interesting and educational, and these episodes have stayed with me even though I haven't seen the show in years.

There were good ideologies there, and "That's So Raven" was a popular show, with high enough ratings to become the first on Disney Channel to be renewed past its 65-episode contract.

a feminist album review: little mix's 'salute'

Little Mix is a pop group from the UK, formed in 2011 on the The X Factor. The group won the competition, and have since released their second album, Salute. Fun, young, and energetic, the women of Little Mix have always been unapologetically themselves- incredibly hard-working, high-spirited, and dedicated to their fans and the music. The "girl power" attitude that the Spice Girls brought to pop music in the 90s becomes less of a catch phrase on Salute, and more of a contender for what could be considered feminist pop music.

The feminist themes of the album standout especially on "Salute," "Boy," and "A Different Beat." Some of the messages in these tracks include supporting other women (rather than viewing them as competition), intervening when a friend is in a destructive relationship, and asserting one's power as a woman.

"Salute," which opens the album, sets the tone; 
Ladies all across the world
Listen up, we're looking for recruits
If you're with me, lemme see your hands
Stand up and salute
Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps or lace up your boots
Representing all the women, salute, salute!

The song encourages unity among women, and standing up to oppression together.

It's who we are
We don't need no camouflage

You think we're just pretty things
You couldn't be more wrong
(We're standing strong, we carry on)
Knock us but we keep moving up (we're moving up, yeah)
Can't stop a hurricane, ladies it's time to awake (yeah!)

The song uses military imagery, imagery that is normally portrayed as masculine. Using this metaphor of women as warriors, Little Mix tells their female audience that they are powerful and have a voice, and can fight for their rights.


"Boy" is a track about a relationship, but instead, Little Mix sings to a friend in a relationship with a partner who doesn't value her:

Girl, don't you know you set the tone?
I'll make you stop that, fight backHe won't get away with thatLook who's ringing up your phoneYou wanna call back, leave thatAin't nobody got time for that
It's funny how the tables turnWhen he's the one who's left at homeYou'll find your own real man and go
Forget that boy, forget that boyI know a bad boy ain't good enough for youYou're holding back tears in your eyesBad boy wanna fightBut I never see him fighting for youHe'll never realize what he's got until it's goneAnd he'll lose you foreverGirl, you'll be alright, forget that boy
See what you're worth, girlLook what you've gotHe knows you're out of his leagueIf he likes it or not
I know what you're worth, girlYou know what you gotWe know you're out of his leagueIf he likes it or not


"A Different Beat" contains what I consider one of the most important lines of the entire album: "I've got the right to make up my mind; say it loud and clear for the whole wide world to hear." The song is about not conforming to the ideals society has set for us, and even though we all come from different backgrounds, occupy different spaces, we come together when going against those stereotypes and standards set by society.

Three members of Little Mix are women of color. While representation in the main stream pop scene is still a work in progress, Little Mix, and groups like Fifth Harmony and Neon Jungle, offer more representation to their audiences.

the teenage girl power structure

My Mad Fat Diary is a show that tackles many stereotypes about weight, mental illness, and the teenage experience. It's one of my favorite shows right now for its relatable characters and 90s gimmick, but I think the show also offers a lot in terms of discussion. The show reaches a wide audience- not only teenagers and young adults in the UK (where it airs), but also adults who were teenagers and young adults in the 1990s. Beyond that, the show already has a cult following online all over the world. Unlike fellow British cult drama Skins, My Mad Fat Diary doesn't attempt to be shocking for the sake of showing what teenagers are "really" like- instead, I think the show is successful in showing real problems, and encouraging better outcomes, akin to My So-Called Life, or Freaks and Geeks.

A moment that stood out to me in particular during season 2 so far is in Episode 3. Rae's best friend Chloe has recently started hanging out with the popular clique of girls, and Rae has also been accepted into their group. She faces the realistic struggle of being forced to fit it, having to buy certain "labels," and then facing ridicule when the other girls find out she's wearing knockoffs. Rae witnesses Chloe being treated like a lapdog by Stacey, the leader of the group, and she doesn't understand why Chloe isn't sticking up for herself. What Rae eventually learns is that their group dynamic is an act and a game of power.

At 37:00, the girls are out at a restaurant for Stacey's birthday. Stacey invites Rae and purposefully doesn't tell her they're going for a meal, knowing that Rae can't eat in front of people. Rae begins to panic, but orders a pizza, not ready to back down. Stacey asks Chloe (in a very calculating manor) to get her some spare napkins. Throughout the episode, Chloe is the only person Stacey asks to wait on her. When Chloe asks Stacey, "why me?" Stacey responds that she was only asking "a favor," and, faced with the pressure of being judged by the rest of the group, Chloe agrees. After she comes back with the napkins, one of the other girls, Amy, gets up to go to the bathroom. While she's away, Stacey immediately begins to talk about her behind her back: "Guys- is Amy serious about wearing that trackie top on a night out? I mean I know she's got this whole keeping the street cred thing going on, but seriously, she just looks rough." She then says her trademark phrase throughout the episode, "Someone should say something."

Rae, who felt conflicted about the group throughout the episode, has an epiphany: "That's when I realized- these girls weren't friends. Stacey just wanted people around who had vulnerabilities that she could exploit to make herself feel better. That's why I was there." Rae also realizes that she'd also been pretending in order to be accepted by these girls, in particular, Stacey. She tells Stacey that she doesn't want to be there, or around her. "You're mean," Rae says. "You're not a nice person. You manipulate everybody." Stacey attempts to do exactly what Rae knows she does to keep control of any situation, saying, "This isn't about me, this is about the fact that you can't eat in front of people." Rae takes a bite of her pizza in defiance, and storms out.

At 43:00, Rae and Chloe are sitting at a table at school, when Stacey and the girls approach them. Stacey tells Chloe that they aren't hanging out with Rae anymore, to which Chloe responds, "Sorry, Rae." For a split second, the audience thinks that Chloe is going to side with Stacey, but then Chloe surprises everyone and calls Stacey out on her manipulative behavior, effectively dethroning Stacey's power over the other girls.